“Let me check where Lord Tristan is now—he’s scheduled to start traveling with the Bastardmaker soon, setting up new prisons and check-points in each country. But that’s the fastest way to join.”
Auriel’s eyebrows knit together with concern, watching me. “Stay calm,” he mouthed. But my heart was racing.
They’d just called Bamaria southern New Korteria.
“I don’t know,” drawled a soturion. It was one who’d spoken before. “Something about this don’t seem right.”
“What do you care?” asked his friend.
“I don’t. I just think we ought to focus on real problems. I know they say they’re killers, that the vorakh sends them out of their minds, all farther than Lethea and shit, but we’ve got real enemies in front of us. That bitch Lyriana is a fucking murderer and she’s going to pay for my cousin.”
I stilled. Had he been at the stripping? Would he know my face? I was blonde now, and it had been a month. But still … If he looked too closely, it was over. His aura was rank and moving through the pub in quick, powerful bursts. I could feel his violence shifting toward me.
We needed to get out of there—without starting a scene. For all the hours we’d been here, I’d been the only woman. I’d noticed it, and so had Auriel, but only now that a dozen soturi were at the bar, drinking heavily, did I clearly feel it.
“Well, I hope you find her, brother.” A soturion stood and clapped the angry soldier on the back.
“I hope so, too,” he said darkly. “I got a gut feeling. She’s not dead. Probably still hiding in southern New Korteria. That’s my guess. She couldn’t go far. She’s just a girl, an evil one, but a weak one. She has no power.”
I almost rolled my eyes. Right. I had no power, but I’d killed the Emperor, killed the Blade, and his cousin. These fucking men. And it was fucking Bamaria! New Korteria didn’t exist!
“You should get assigned down south,” another said. “They’re taking recruits for next month,” he continued.
“Need another half legion down there.”
“Just to find that bitch?”
“No. The whole fucking Empire’s looking for her. It’s because the Bamarians are protesting. Not happy with the Emperor’s new policies. Fucking vorakh lovers.”
“Wait—” one held up a hand, “they like vorakh?”
“No, no one likes them. They’re just mad because all the prisons they’re building need to be manned. By us. They think we’re outnumbering them.”
“We are!” someone shouted.
“Prisoners need prisons. And we need homes. So we’ve been taking theirs. Taking their women, too.” The soturion laughed.
“And the best part? Our Emperor made Arianna Batavia the Imperator to shut them all up. She lets us do whatever the fuck we want.” He turned in his chair, licking his lips, his eyes on me. “Speaking of fucking …” He stood, taking a step toward me, before pausing, and sizing up Auriel. “Hey. You share?” He raised his eyebrows. “I can buy you a drink in exchange.”
Auriel’s hand was already on the hilt of the sword, his other hand moving to the one strapped to his back.
I started calculating. Twelve soturi at the bar. One bartender. Six more patrons at tables. Twelve were our enemy, best case scenario. Six for me, six for Auriel. Worst case, we’d have to take on all nineteen. We had the corner, a wall at our backs so no one could come from behind, and a window if we truly needed to escape.
But then a scream came from outside. A blood-curdling yell full of fear.
They’d said one word. And one word only. “Akadim!”
Chapter
Twenty-Eight
LYRIANA
My eyes met Auriel’s. Only one thought in my mind.
Rhyan.
My stomach twisted as I looked out the window. Night hadn’t fallen yet. But I could see the outline of the three beasts coming. They were moving through the town center, their red eyes glowing from afar. They reminded me of the ones that had attacked the Throne Room with Morgana. Shorter than most akadim, but still taller than any man. They were pale, their eyes red. I could see their fangs and their long claws that extended from their fingers.
